


Melody

by Fiery_Mullet



Series: IORiKU Countdown 2017 [2]
Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Memories, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 17:29:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13058736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiery_Mullet/pseuds/Fiery_Mullet
Summary: [For yunsdreamworld. Prompt: childhood AU]Music is a mysterious thing. A melody usually stays with you for a long time even after not hearing it again if you've  heard it so many times. Or if it left that deep of an impact on you.





	Melody

**Author's Note:**

  * For [YunsDreamWorld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunsDreamWorld/gifts).



**Melody**

 

"That's a nice melody."

Iori snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Sougo speak beside him.

Sitting on the living room sofa, Iori was in the middle of folding the laundry he had just taken out of the washing machine, and the task was so mundane that he didn't know when he started absently humming a tune.

"What's the title of that song?" The silver haired boy asked, soft features relaxed into a smile, belying his hair sprouts that seemed more disarrayed than usual.

"I don't know... It's a melody that has been stuck in my head for a long time but for some reason I don't remember where I first heard it. Isn't it strange?" Iori frowned.

"That _is_ strange. But music is a mysterious thing. A melody usually stays with you for a long time even after not hearing it again if you've heard it so many times. Or if it left that deep of an impact on you."

"Impact, eh..."

"Iori, go call Riku and the others. Dinner's ready." Mitsuki said from the dining area as he set the table.

"Okay!"

"I'll help you set the table, Mitsuki."

-x-

His pen strokes and his older brother's snoring were the only things Iori could hear in the dim room, the only light left on was the silver lamp atop his study table.

On the other room, he could hear Riku's constant coughing. It was painful to listen to, with every cough feeling as if it was hurting his own chest as well. And then it stopped.

A frown creased Iori's brows. If it was because the older boy had fallen asleep, then he'd be relieved. But something didn't feel right.

He quietly got up, walked towards the door and slowly opened and closed it, trying to make the least noise so as not to wake his older brother sleeping on the bottom part of their bunk bed.

"Ah, Ichi, you're still awake?"

"Yamato-san? Yes. I was finishing my homework."

Their oldest member, donning striped pajamas, was standing outside Riku's door in the now darkened hallway, only slightly lit with a couple of night lights on the floor.

"I was just about to sleep too but I thought I'd check on Riku one more time."

"Yes, his coughing has been getting worse lately."

"Yeah..."

Yamato knocked on the wooden door twice.

"Riku? You okay?"

No answer.

They exchanged looks before deciding to take a peek, just to make sure their center had fallen asleep.

However, as soon as they opened the door, Iori's body moved on its own and bolted for Riku's bed. He couldn't stand the sight of the older boy who looked like he was struggling to breathe- as if he was drowning.

-x-

After administering the emergency procedures as they were instructed by the emergency staff over the phone, Riku's coughing finally subsided and his breathing somewhat stabilized. At the moment, he was sleeping in Iori's arms, his head resting on the younger boy's shoulder.

"And now we wait. I'm going to let the others know what happened and wait for our manager and Banri-san to arrive. Until the ambulance comes, I'll leave him with you, Ichi. I'll leave the door open so yell if you need anything."

Iori nodded. Yamato walked out of the room, but not before giving Iori a pat on the shoulder and ruffling Riku's head.

"You've both been very strong. Hang in there, Riku."

Iori could still feel his heart pounding. This had happened before and he already knew more or less what to do, but it didn't lessen the panic he felt this time around. Trying to calm his nerves, he started to hum.

Some time in the middle of the song, Riku clutched onto the sleeve of his dark blue teddy-bear print pajama. He heard a weak chuckle escape the red head's lips before he spoke in a quiet voice.

"Ten-nii... That's my part... Yours goes like this..."

But before their gifted singer could continue, the ambulance came to take  
him away.

-x-

When the number six was lit up, the elevator let out a soft ding before its doors opened. Iori walked down the quiet beige halls accented with picture frames on the wall and plants on the floor. The only sounds he could hear were quiet footfalls and soft talking voices.

He reached a fork where there were two glass etched signs, the one with an arrow towards the right said pediatrics ward while the one to the left had a series of room numbers, one of them was the room he was looking for.

When he got to the 4-bed room, all beds were unoccupied and the pristine curtains surrounding them tied open except for the last one at the corner, where a crimson haired boy clad in white hospital gown sat, an IV drip connected to his arm.

With the gentle breeze coming in through the open window, the curtains fluttered and he could see the clear blue sky outside. As if noticing someone had come, he turned towards Iori, and his face instantly lit up with a smile that was brighter than the sun in the sky.

Iori was temporarily frozen in place when the image of a boy who looked just like Riku, but much smaller, flashed in his mind.

"Iori!!! Thanks for coming!"

Riku's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Nanase-san. How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks. Oh and great news! The doctor said that when this IV drip is finished and if everything's fine I can be discharged tonight! I can't wait, it's so lonely here..."

"That's good to hear. Here, I brought you something to eat."

Iori took out the contents of the paper bag he was carrying- orange juice and a black lacquer lunch box shaped like a cat filled with finger sandwiches that he made (with chicken chunks, lettuce, tomato, and omelette filling), and an apple his older brother had peeled and cut into little bunnies.

He set them all nicely on the tall wheeled table and pulled it closer towards Riku.

"Yay! Thanks for the food."

"I hope you like it. Please take your time eating. I'll stay until the doctor comes so if he says you can go home..." Iori paused, then said in a more positive note as he smiled at the other boy. "No, I'm sure he'll say you can go home. Then we'll go back together."

"Mm!" Riku nodded, happily munching on the sandwiches Iori made.

"Ne, Iori. I know it's silly to ask, but... Did Tenn-nii by any chance come by last night? Was he there when I...?"

"That's impossible, isn't it? Given the time and how busy Trigger is as well."

Looking at the hopeful- almost pleading- look in the boy's face, Iori felt bad saying it but he couldn't possibly lie.

"You're right, it couldn't be..." Riku forced a laugh "It's just, I feel like I heard him singing our song last night."

"Your song...?"

"Yeah. It's a melody we came up with when we were kids. But we harmonize, so we have different parts. Whenever I was alone, I'd practice it. So when Tenn-nii comes to visit and we sing it together, he'll praise me and say I got better."

"I see..."

"But ever since Tenn-ni left, I couldn't sing it anymore. It was too painful."

Riku smiled bitterly.

Taking a deep breath, he straightened himself up and grinned.

"But now that I've got Iori, and everyone too, I'm not lonely anymore! I feel like I can finally sing it again. Would you like to hear it?"

His chest feeling warm from the words he had just heard and the sweet smile thrown his way, Iori's face relaxed into a heartfelt smile.

"Yes, please let me hear it."

And as soon as Riku hummed the first note, Iori recognized it right away. There was no mistake. This was that very same melody that had been stuck in his head, and the longer he heard it, the deeper he dove into a far off memory he thought he had long forgotten.

-x-

_"Ugh... I have to use crutches? Seriously? How lame..."_

_Mitsuki whined, earning a slight whack in the head from their mother._

_"Don't complain, you silly child. It's your fault for being careless. Just be thankful it wasn't anything worse. When the school principal called me and said you were taken to the hospital, I thought my heart was gong to stop!"_

_"Nii-san, does it hurt?"_

_"Nah," Mitsuki patted Iori's head. "Sorry for making you worry, Iori. So uncool, letting a 6-year-old worry..."_

_"Iori honey, would you like a drink? There's a vending machine over there by the lounge. Wait here, I'll..."_

_He could see the colorful machines in front of the area with rows of wooden tables and chairs. It looked like a bit of a walk, but he could handle that much. He was a responsible child, Iori thought to himself._

_"It's okay mom, I can do it by myself."_

_"Wow! You're a big boy."_

_Their mother patted Iori's head then handed him some change from her macaron-shaped pastel green coin purse._

_When he looked at the drinks, he saw the milk tea bottles came with special designs. One was a white cat character, while the other one was a little red monster. He wanted to get the cat one at first, but figured his older brother might tease him so he went for the "cooler" one instead. He regretted it for a bit, but on a closer look the little red monster was actually kind of cute, and not blatantly so._

_On the way back to where Mitsuki and his mother were waiting, he heard someone humming from one of the rooms. Looking inside, he saw four beds, unoccupied and pristine curtains surrounding them tied open except for the last one at the corner, where a crimson haired child clad in white hospital gown sat, a long slim tube connected to his arm with some kind of fluid dripping through it._

_With the gentle breeze coming in through the open window, the curtains fluttered and he could see the clear blue sky outside. As if noticing someone had come, the little boy turned towards Iori, and his face instantly lit up with a smile that was brighter than the sun in the sky._

_Seeing the endless blue from the window, the white curtains sparking as they reflected the sun's rays, and the boy's short crimson hair giving a soft glow almost like... a halo, Iori stood there, frozen, mouth slightly gaping open._

_He remembered his kindergarten teacher reading books about angels during story time, and he wondered if he was seeing a real one at that very moment._

_He snapped out of his thoughts when the boy waved._

_Feeling heat creep up in his cheeks, Iori clutched the bottled milk tea tighter then ran back to his mother and Mitsuki._

_A week later, they went back to the same hospital for one of Mitsuki's follow up check ups. Curious if his angel was still there, Iori wandered to the lounge again, and was pleasantly surprised to hear the beautiful song once again._

_He quietly peeked inside, hoping the boy wouldn't notice, but for some reason he would and stop humming to look. But Iori would hide fast enough, so the boy simply shrugged, and went on humming again._

_Hum, peek, stop and look, hide, then hum again._

_They continued on this pattern until the either the boy stopped humming or Iori left. And resumed again on Mitsuki's follow up check up a week later. And then the next._

_Until one day, he heard the same melody but did not see the boy on his usual bed when he peeked into the room. He tentatively stepped inside. Then..._

_"Hello!"_

_"Ah!!!"_

_A flash of crimson, then a pale, smiling face from behind the curtain. The little angel, slightly shorter than Iori, was right there in front of him. But his face was so close Iori felt his cheeks heating up. And he did what every six year old would do in a panic- he ran to his mother._

_Wanting to and yet at the same time not wanting to see the redhead, Iori didn't go with his mother and brother for Mitsuki's next couple of appointments. His mother told him that while she was relieved to hear that, as going to the hospital in the afternoon meant missing his dance lessons, she was worried about him looking down lately. His feelings were all muddled up but one thing was clear to him, he wanted to hear that song again._

_So on Mitsuki's final check up Iori decided to come with them. For some reason, the thought of seeing his angel for the last time and hearing that song for the last time saddened him._

_When they got to the hospital, he hurriedly went to the lounge... but he no longer heard the familiar melody. And when he peeked into the room, what he heard instead was the sound of hospital machines and labored breathing._

_He walked closer and stood beside the bed. A transparent mask connected to one of the machines was covering the boy's nose and mouth, and his usually bright face was contorted to a frown even as he slept._

_Iori's hand moved on its own and took the boy's hand. As if in response, the boy's tiny fingers tightened around his hand, before ivory eyelids parted to reveal the crimson gems underneath. Looking at Iori, the boy gave a weak smile, before his eyelids drifted close and his breathing calmed down considerably._

_Unable to bear the sight of such a tiny body suffering, Iori let go of his hand went back to his mother. He hugged her tight and cried nonstop that whole night._

-x-

"Iori? Iori?"

Iori jolted back to the present upon hearing Riku's voice.

"You okay? You were spacing out for a while there."

"It's nothing."

Now it was all clear to him. It was a song he dearly loved. But it was also a song that was associated with his most painful memory.

"I still love that song after all."

"Still?"

"Nothing. Nanase-san, could you hold out your hand?"

"Eh? Like this?"

Riku held out his free hand. Iori loved this part of the older boy, so obedient almost to a gullible extent.

With both hands, Iori took the outstretched hand and held it firmly.

"I'll never let go of this hand again."

"Iori... I don't really get it, but," Riku tightened his hold on Iori's hand "Don't ever leave me, okay?"

And Riku smiled.

A smile that Iori was grateful he had never completely forgotten.

He hoped that someday, he too, could sing with Riku their very own melody.

**The End**

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not mine. Ainana's original story is credited to Tsushimi Bunta and BNOI


End file.
